Cat Introduction Woes

[Columbine]

hno: Oh no How's Sinbad doing now? (I'm assuming Bêlit isn't too worried as she did start it after all). Really hope these two can sort themselves out soon

 

[losna]

He's fine now. She didn't hurt him as he ran away and hubby threw a towel over her when she gave chase. We gave him lots of love last night, and I spent most of the day today cuddling and coddling him.

I would say from the lionish lounge and purrs that he's doing fine at the moment. 

As to Bêlit, she knew that she'd done something wrong. When hubby took the towel off her she ran off to hide. I gave her the usual treats at treat time, but she remained in hiding until she crept into bed sometime in the night.

Also @talkingpeanut   you will be happy to know my hubby said to me that it had occurred to him ignoring her the way he does is not a good idea. So he spent a portion of today carrying her around and snuggling her. And oh boy was she in heaven. She rode on his shoulder like the pirate queen on her ship and purred and purred and purred.

 

[talkingpeanut]

He's fine now. She didn't hurt him as he ran away and hubby threw a towel over her when she gave chase. We gave him lots of love last night, and I spent most of the day today cuddling and coddling him.

I would say from the lionish lounge and purrs that he's doing fine at the moment. 

As to Bêlit, she knew that she'd done something wrong. When hubby took the towel off her she ran off to hide. I gave her the usual treats at treat time, but she remained in hiding until she crept into bed sometime in the night.

Also @talkingpeanut
  you will be happy to know my hubby said to me that it had occurred to him ignoring her the way he does is not a good idea. So he spent a portion of today carrying her around and snuggling her. And oh boy was she in heaven. She rode on his shoulder like the pirate queen on her ship and purred and purred and purred.

I'm glad to hear it! I was wondering if she was acting out because she felt somewhat ignored.

 

[mservant]

 

   Too stressful.   Thank goodness Sinbad is fine, and Bêlit is realizing this type of behaviour is not OK.   On the whole it does still sound like things are going well, and it is really positive that hubby is now of the view he can be cuddly and postitive with Bêlit even when these things are happening, I am sure this will help all of them.

Hoping you have a calmer night tonight.  

 

[losna]

I'm glad to hear it! I was wondering if she was acting out because she felt somewhat ignored.

Yeah .. based on today after husband carried her around, and her general behavior since Sinbad started smacking her around, I think that most of the problems have been dealt with (not completely solved I know, but now I have some confidence that I won't have to spend so much time in maintenance mode) and now it's just finishing the introduction roller coaster out. 

Bêlit doesn't bug Sinbad so much, for example, which means he isn't on constant alert and can chill out and relax again.

 

[losna]

Is there anything more alarming than describing a cat's symptoms to the vet and being told to bring her in immediately?

We got Bêlit's medical documentation, I called the vet, and she's there right now ... here's to hoping it's nothing too serious and my worries have just been exacerbated due to the stress of the introductions.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i'm hoping and sending 

that your Belit's symptoms are easily treated.

and, yes, having a vet react like that would be alarming to me too.

 

[losna]

Vet update:

Bêlit is home now. She had tapeworms. a bad UTI, and something called Haw's syndrome. I was mistaking the smell from the uti, which I have never smelled before, as the sickly sweet smell of diabetic urine. 

Haw's syndrome is likely to clear up as we care for the other things. It's a reactionary thing.

 

[mservant]

That was a worrying day - definitely not nice being told by a vet that you are to take your cat straight in.  I hope that nasty UTI clears up quickly and you see Bêlit's true kitty purrsonality come out at last.  She must have been feeling pretty rotten with that infection going on, and to have tapeworm on top of that, she has been amazing to have settled so well with you.

I wonder if her third eyelids will retract and her eyes look 'normal' once the tapeworm infestation has been resolved?  She is such a pretty cat already and to see her eyes fully open so as not giving people the impression she is sick would be so lovely.   

 

[losna]

That's what haw's syndrome is. I was reading about it, beyond what she told me. It causes a permanent presence of the third eyelid, and is caused by reactions to infections, parasites and recurrent problems like fiv. The vet said that she is as confident as she can be that it will resolve itself as we tend to Bêlit, because we take such good care of our cats.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

awww, the poor thing!

well, the tapeworms were probably the cause of Belit's need for more food, and causing her to go after Sinbad's food.

 

[losna]

I just want to cry thinking about how the vet described her UTI. It was clearly super bad. The word she used was "raging" and that it's so very bad she is certain Bêlit had it when we took her in. I had the distinct impression that she's never seen one this bad.  Bêlit must have been/be in so much pain. 

 

[catlover73]

Cat's can hide pain very well. I did not know one of my cat's had a UTI until he peed on the recliner in our den in front of my hubby.

It really sounds like Belit hid her UTI from you really well. Don't beat yourself up. You took her to the vet for an exam when you noticed some thing was wrong. You are doing an excellent job with her care.

 

[mservant]

Don't beat yourself up Losna, Bêlit was not showing other signs of a UTI, or looking ragged, hiding away or running a temperature (which is how snowleopard would get when she had UTIs).  You had a feeling something wasn't right and you took her in to the vet -that is the best thing you could do.   Now she has the chance of feeling well, possibly for the first time in a very long time and that is special.  

Looking forward to hearing how Bêlit is once she feels better.   Fingers crossed she will be a cuddle bug and not a bossy madam.   I have high hopes for the former.   

 

 

[losna]

Oh boy is she a super cuddle bug since getting back from the vet. I've pretty much had a cat scarf all day.  It's clear she's feeling very much better.

I'm hoping that all the misbehavior will prove to have been pain induced. But it's too soon to tell. It has been two meals now though where she hasn't made an attempt to steal Sinbad's food.

 

[mservant]

I'm sure that if Bêlit's food behaviour subsides Sinbad is going to feel a whole lot more confortable about her being around.   Odds on that her aggression towards him will have been related to her being in pain - possibly not all of it but a large proportion.

Lots of snuggles for all 3 of your furries.  

 

[losna]

Update time!

Bêlit's tapeworms are gone; her fecal exam was clear. Huzzah! There are no new health updates other than that though, sadly. The vet office called today to tell me that she'd be calling to discuss the most recent test results with me ... but she still hasn't called yet.

Bêlit has resumed stealing Sinbad's food, so has been consigned to lockup during meal times again. But I have hopes to wean her off this - she has improved enough that she no longer darts at Sinbad's dish when food comes out. Instead she waits by the stairs, then trots happily to the bathroom once he is served.

They have spats, but I don't think they are anything series. Neither growls or hisses, it's just a lot of swatting and biting. They've spatted like this on top of me, and I've not been scratched, so I know they're not even popping out claws as they squabble. I haven't seen any nose kisses, but there are bum sniffs and Sinbad does still try to lick her tail. 

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• losna
• Aug 11, 2016

She does seem much more settled now. It is seeming like most of her behavior issues were coming from pain/illness. I don't entirely understand why it would have been sparked by the shift to raw diet, but overall, while she still does annoy Sinbad with frequent attention, she does actually accept back off warnings now. Mostly.  She wouldn't be a cat if it weren't mostly though, would she. 

And Tempest continues to tolerate her, as she doesn't charge at her.

All going well at the moment. Now if only the vet would call... it's been hours, and the more I wait the more I fret. I'm pretty sure there's nothing that would be a danger to Sinbad or Tempest, but for her to want to discuss things with me enough to make sure I'd be around for her call ... seems like it's something more serious than all's going well?

 

[losna]

Scratch the no cuddling. 

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• losna
• Aug 12, 2016

edit: oh the vet did finally call this morning. The bacteria types in Bêlit's UTI are all sensitive to the type of antibiotic she gave her, so Bêlit should recover just fine with care. We set up an appointment for a new urine test and exam in 2 weeks to see how she's coming along.

 

[mservant]

 

Three dancing bananas for luck these nice things are on-going, and celebrations of both the snuggles and the health update for Bêlit, and positive vibes for good measure.  

  

Loving the snuggle buddies photo.  

    Little rascals trying to hide their cuddles.  

 

 

[losna]

They have had a snuggle nap all afternoon, and even one thorough mutual grooming session! All cuddled together in a little ball, both licking each others faces and ears.  

Tempest is spending more time out on the landing again, all is going very well now, and continuing to improve as Bêlit recovers. 

And man she is greedy for chicken spines. Every time I roast one, she happily crunches down the entire spine and the heart for dessert.